Abner b



(No Model.)

Patented Dec. 17, 1889 FIFTH WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

A. B. HEAYTON 8v R. D. CRISWELL.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABNER l3. HEATON AND'ROBERT D.'ORISWELL, OF \VINTERSET, IOIVA; SAID ORISWELL ASSIGNOR TO SAID HEATON.

FIFTH-WHEEL FOR VEHICLES.

W SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,557, dated December 17, 1889. I Application filed April 5,1889. Serial No. 306,127. (No model.)

lowing is a specification.

Ouroloject is to maintain the center of oscillation of a fifth-Wheel at the center of the fore axle of avehicle Without perforating and weakening the axle to admit a king-bolt.

Our invention consists in the construction and combination of two circular plates to produce a fifth-wheel and two irons adapted to connect it with a reach, an axle, and a spring or bolster, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in our claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front view of a piece of an axle and a spring to which our invention is applied as required for practical use. Fig. 2 is a top View of a part of the lower circular plate, showin g con centric slots through which bolts are extended. Fig. 3 is a View taken from a point at right angles to Fig. 1, showing the axle, spring, and wooddn cross-section. Fig. 4. is a modification of Fig. 1, showing integral projections on the circular plates that adapt the plates to be combined with the axle and spring by means of'bolts placed horizontally in place of vertically. Fig. 5 is a top View, and Fig.

6 a cross-section, of the circular plates shown in Fig. 4. Figs. 7 andS are enlarged perspective views of parts shown in Fig. 4.

a is the upper circular plate of the fifthwheel.

0 is an annular concentric groove in the top surface of the plate I), and c are concentric mating slots in the same plate.

d is an elbow-shaped iron that is perforated at its rear end and fitted and fixed to a reach f by means of bolts, and screw-threaded at its vertically-extending front to extend up through one of the slots 0' in the plate I) and a perforation in the top plate a to be secured by means of a nut d.

g is a coupling-iron fixed on top of the reach and connected with the iron d and the plates at and b by means of a screw-bolt 9', that is passed down through a perforation on the plate a, and a coinciding slot 0' in the plate I), and a perforation in. the iron d, as shown in Fig. 3. The iron g may be bent up, as indicated by dotted lines.

7; is a re-enforcing iron plate fitted against the bottom of the axle. It has perforated cars It at its ends and a downward projection h at its center and a boret'in the center of the extension adapted to admit a corresponding pivot m, that is formed on or fixed to the coupling-iron d, as shown in Fig. 3, in such a manner that the pivot will be the center of the oscillating motions of the axle. The iron h and the plate I) are jointly clamped fast to the axle by means of bolts or, passed down through perforations in the plate I) and the perforated ears h of the plate h. V

The plate h may be dispensed with, as shown in Fig. 4c, in which a bore is made in the bottom of the axle to admit the pivot m, and projections or perforated ears 1", formed integral with the plates at and b, to receive bolts 02 in a horizontal position. The spring and a block are jointly clamped to the upper plate a by means of clips composed of cross-bars s and bolts 8, that are passed upward through perforations in the plate, as indicated by dotted lines.

In practical use the axle and lower plate I) rotate jointly upon the pivot m, while the coupling-irons cl and g, fixed to the reach and the spring and upper plate a, remain stationary. The iron d and bolt g, that pass through the slots 0 in the plate I), traverse the slots and aid in guiding and facilitating the operation of the complete device.

We claim as our invention 1. In a fifth-wheel and reach-coupling, the combination of a coupling-iron having a fixed pivot, an axle having a perforated plate attached to engage the pivot, and a circular plate having concentric slots fixed to the axle, and a mating plate having a spring fixed thereto, fixed to the reach by means of a coupling-iron, a bolt extended through the slot in the plate on the rear side of the axle, and a coupling-iron fixed to the reach and extended forward under the axle, pivotally connected with the axle, and extended vertically through the slot in the under plate and fixed to the upper or mating plate,

in the manner set forth, for the purposes slots 0 in the plate Z), arranged and combined stated. substantially as shown and described, for the IO 2. The plate a, fixed to a spring or bolster, purposes stated.

the plate I), having concentric slots 0, the plate ABNER B. IIEATON.

71, having perforated ears 7L and a bore i, the ROBERT D. ORIS\VELL.

coupling-irons (Z and g, fixed to a reach, and Witnesses:

an axle fixed to the plate a by means of the T. O. GILPlN,

iron (Z, and a bolt g, extended through the E. L. HILLIS. 

